Graduates with work experience

Four out of five 2013 graduates have work experienceBournemouth heads the top ten work experience universities

New research shows that nearly four in every five graduates looking
to begin their career have work experience. The analysis by graduate-
jobs.com, the largest independent graduate jobs board in the UK, shows
that of 20,331 students graduating in 2013, just 21.1 per cent have no
work experience on their CV as they begin their search for a career.

Gerry Wyatt, Operations Director at graduate-jobs.com, said,
"Undertaking work experience is no longer an opt-in facet of the job
application
process – graduates need to take advantage of opportunities to gain real
world experience of working life. The one in five graduates lacking
work
experience on their CV should take note. Excelling academically is
important, but employers are wary of taking on new recruits who are
untested
in the workplace. In such a competitive job environment it’s crucial for
graduates to stand out to recruiters by being able to demonstrate a
work
ethic and career aptitude when they apply for a job. Our research shows
that a majority of graduates are proactively responding to this shift in
employers’ mindset by gaining valuable experience of the workplace,
prior to their career search.”

"However, it’s no longer enough for graduates to simply have work
experience on their CV and expect to stand out from the crowd. It’s
vital to
demonstrate that the experience is relevant to the job sectors graduates
wish to work in. Employers in the financial services industry won’t
necessarily be impressed by someone with work experience in catering.
With employers looking for the ‘best fit’ candidate, it’s crucial that
graduates seek work experience which best fits their intended career
sectors.”

Rank

University

% of 2013 graduates with work experience

1st

Bournemouth University

89.94 %

2nd

University of Surrey

87.93 %

3rd

Aston University

87.85 %

4th

London Metropolitan University

85.96 %

5th

Loughborough University

85.42 %

6th

University of Westminster

85.28 %

7th

Sheffield Hallam University

83.77 %

8th

University of Hertfordshire

82.97 %

9th

Nottingham Trent University

82.75 %

10th

University of Leeds

81.69 %

The research shows that Bournemouth University tops the list of
academic institutions by proportion of graduates having work experience –
nearly
nine out of ten Bournemouth students graduating this year stating on
their CV that they have spent time in a workplace. Bournemouth
University
offers a range of sandwich courses, but has also, since 2012, offered
every undergraduate Honours student the opportunity to take a
professional
placement – typically 40 weeks in length – as well as access to hundreds
of part time, vacation, placement and graduate opportunities.

Gerry Wyatt said, "Bournemouth University graduates often have a
comparatively substantial spell in the workplace, practical and relevant
experience of their chosen career, enriched CVs, and an understanding of
the importance of both teamwork and interpersonal skills. Those
Bournemouth students that have taken advantage of the work placements
available to them have also shown initiative, ambition and drive in
finding
and being chosen for such employment experiences. Their future employers
benefit by filling entry-level positions with graduates who have an
understanding of the graduate’s chosen industry.”

With so many highly qualified graduates looking for graduate
traineeships, recruiters are increasingly looking for ways to
differentiate between
job applicants. They use graduate-jobs.com to specifically search for
candidates that have undertaken a work placement – such as an internship
or
job shadowing. These filtering functions enable employers to pick not
just academically qualified graduates, but those who have shown
commitment
to building their employability and workplace skills. As well as
students still at university, 275,000 graduates are active on
graduate-jobs.com,
providing recruiters with cost-effective access to a massive number of
high quality graduates.

In addition to enabling graduates to browse graduate jobs and
graduate schemes, graduate-jobs.com is also a resource for career-minded
university
students. The site helps graduates to identify their key skills, enrich
their CVs, hone their interview technique and get advice from fellow
graduates during their job hunt via an online forum.